The present invention relates to an apparatus for operating a blind, in particular, but not exclusively, a vertical window blind, and also to a method of operating such a blind using the apparatus.
It is known to provide a vertical louver blind comprising a plurality of louver carrier trucks constrained to move longitudinally within a headrail. Typically, each truck includes a louver carrier which is rotatable about a vertical axis. In such known vertical louver blinds, translational movement of the carrier trucks is effected by a first drive means and a rotation of the vertical louvers carried by respective louver carriers is effected by a second separate drive means. Each of the two drive means includes a respective operating apparatus whereby a user can control the operation of the drive means. Thus, conventional vertical louver blinds have two separate controls for arranging the blind in the desired configuration, which at best detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the blind, and at worst can be confusing for a user as to which operating apparatus has which effect, thus leading to frustration on the part of the user.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a vertical louver blind with a simplified operating means.
Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vertical blind assembly including a plurality of louver carrier trucks slidably carried within a headrail, each truck including a louver carrier mounted for rotation about an axis; wherein the blind assembly further includes an operating means selectively engageable with a first drive means for urging the trucks to move lengthwise within the headrail and a second drive means for rotation of the louver carrier of each truck about its respective axis.
Embodiments of the present invention thus only require a single operating means for the control of both the translational movement of the trucks along the headrail and the rotational movement of the louver carriers about their respective axes.
The operating means preferably comprises an operating wand.
Preferably, the operation of the vertical blind is caused by rotation of the relevant drive means, which in turn is effected by rotation of the wand when engaged with that drive means.
In a preferred embodiment, the wand includes an engagement element and each of the first and second drive means includes a receiving portion arranged to be capable of receiving at least a portion of the engagement element, whereby the desired drive may be achieved by interengagement of the engagement element, or a portion thereof, with the first or second drive receiving portion.
The wand desirably includes an upper wand portion which carries the engagement element, the engagement element being disengaged from one of the drive means and engaged with the other of the drive means via axial movement of the upper wand portion.
The first drive means may include a chain wheel capable of driving a chain which is preferably connected either directly or indirectly to at least one of the trucks for causing longitudinal movement of the or each truck within the headrail. The term xe2x80x9cchainxe2x80x9d is intended to include a cord comprising a plurality of equally spaced balls or spheres attached to the cord, as is conventially used with this type of blind assembly. Each louver carrier truck may be connected to the truck or trucks adjacent to it, and the chain may be connected to one of the trucks (the xe2x80x9cleadxe2x80x9d truck) such that movement of the lead truck longitudinally within the headrail results in the remainder of the louver carrier trucks either being pulled along behind it or pushed by it in the desired direction. This type of arrangement results in the simple and effective control of the movement of the louver carrier trucks within the headrail.
The second drive means preferably includes a generally cylindrical sleeve carrying an external worm gear. A common drive rod preferably cooperates with the louver carrier of each truck and carries a gear wheel which is meshed with the external worm gear of the sleeve such that rotation of the sleeve causes rotation of the drive rod via the gear wheel. This in turn results in rotation of each of the louver carriers.
The operating wand preferably includes at least one hinge to enable a user more easily to rotate the wand. More preferably, the operating wand includes two hinges and is arrangeable in the form of a crank.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a vertical blind apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, the method including engaging the operating means with the first or second drive means and energising the engaged drive means to cause the desired movement of the louvers. Thus, if it is desired to effect translational movement of the carrier trucks along the headrail, then the first drive means is engaged and energised. Alternatively, if it is desired to rotate the louvers about their respective axes, then the second drive means is engaged and energised.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows an exploded view of one end of a vertical louver blind headrail assembly.
For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that in the following description, references to xe2x80x9cupxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d and to related terms, refer to the orientation that the relevant component(s) of the blind adopt when installed for normal use, as they are shown in the drawing.